Rackauckas, Woolery lead in county races

Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, facing his first opponent in a dozen years, was far ahead in early election returns Tuesday night.

So was an Orange County Superior Court judge who made controversial comments in a rape case and a ballot measure that would require elected officials to pay their own pensions.

In the race for the county’s next auditor-controller, Eric Woolery was ahead of fellow candidates to replace retiring Jan Grimes. And in the county assessor’s race, a majority of the votes were split between the top two candidates, who appeared late Tuesday night to be headed for a runoff election in November.

JUDGE

Orange County Superior Court Judge Derek Johnson, 62, of Corona del Mar, took a commanding lead over opponent Helen Hayden, a businesswoman and corporate attorney from Laguna Beach, who said she ran against Johnson “to give voters a choice” and help lead a discussion on comments he made in a 2008 rape case.

In the case, Johnson said the lack of physical injury to the victim suggested she “didn’t put up a fight.” The judge was admonished in 2012 by the state Commission on Judicial Performance for remarks that “reflected outdated, biased and insensitive views.”

Hayden, 52, a businesswoman and corporate attorney, said she did not anticipate winning the non-partisan race because she didn’t raise as much money as Johnson and organizations such as women’s groups that typically might have backed her were turned off that she is a Republican.

“Part of this was to give voters a choice ... I feel I accomplished what I set to do,” Hayden said on the eve of Election Day.

“He’s a great judge and obviously the voters of Orange County saw through the ridiculous editorializing you’ve done,” said Scott Hart, an adviser for Johnson, referring to a Register editorial endorsing Hayden.

MEASURE A

Voters overwhelmingly voted to have the county’s future elected officials, including the members of the Board of Supervisors, pay a share of pension contributions.

Orange County’s unfunded pension liability is over $5 billion. “We must rein in out of control government employee pension,” read an argument in favor of Measure A. The measure had no opposition.

COUNTY AUDITOR

Of the five candidates seeking the job of county auditor-controller, Woolery, 48, was leading the pack in early returns.

Woolery, a certified public accountant, said his career includes experience in both the public and private sector.

“I’m a fiscal watchdog, and that’s the theme we had and that’s what we want to bring to this office,” Woolery said late Tuesday night.

Running behind him was Frank Davies, 58, who touted his experience and knowledge as the auditor-controller’s current property tax, and John Wayne Willard, 57, an assistant director for the county with 33 years of county government accounting experience.

INCUMBENTS

Rackauckas, who announced his re-election bid in 2010, was handily winning over Greg Diamond, a local attorney and blogger endorsed by the Orange County Democratic Party. He said he challenged the 16-year incumbent in part because of the DA’s handling of the Kelly Thomas case in Fullerton.

Rackauckas pursued a conviction against two Fullerton police officers in the death of Thomas, a homeless, mentally ill man, but lost.

Rackauckas, 71, has support from a bevy of GOP endorsements and touts a 90 percent felony conviction rate.

Other elections featuring incumbents had the challengers trailing.

Clerk-recorder Hugh Nguyen, who was appointed to his job last year, was far ahead of his three challengers.

In the county assessor’s race, incumbent Webster Guillory was ahead of Claude Parrish, a former member of the California State Board of Equalization, but had fewer than 50 percent of the votes. If the trend holds, the two would go to a runoff in November.